“Wait a minute, pellet stoves are fueled with wood. Why do I have to plug it into an electrical outlet? And won’t that cost me a fortune in electricity costs?”
That’s a perfectly valid question. Pellet stoves heat a house by burning wood pellets, but most common automatic models also require electricity to operate.
Good news? The electricity consumption for conventional heating systems is relatively low. Stoves usually require the most electricity when being lit.
Let’s see how much that really means in crowns.
Why do pellet stoves need electricity?
Unlike traditional wood-burning stoves, where you have to manually add wood, automatic pellet stoves do many tasks themselves.
Electricity is used, for example, for:
- Electric ignition – The ignition element heats the pellets to the required temperature.
- feed pellets – The engine drives a screw conveyor that transports the fuel from the tank to the burner.
- Flue gas leak – The exhaust fan contributes to controlled combustion.
- Warm air distribution – Some models have an additional fan that distributes the heat throughout the room.
- Electronic control – The display, sensors, thermostat and, if applicable, Wi-Fi require electrical energy.
Not all pellet stoves are equipped the same, therefore their electricity consumption also varies.
How much electricity do they consume when lit?
Power consumption is highest during the start-up process.
The ignition element must generate a sufficiently high temperature for the pellets to ignite.
Depending on the model, the power consumption during ignition can be in the range of 300–550 W, for example.
However, this does not mean that the oven consumes that much electricity throughout the entire heating season.
The ignition phase usually only lasts a few minutes, but depending on the design and operating conditions it can also last longer.
Example:
If the oven draws power for 400 W for 10 minutes while lighting, it consumes approximately 0,067 kWh of electricity.
At a model price of 6 CZK/kWh, such an ignition costs approximately 40 cents.
This is a simplified example. The actual power consumption during the start-up process may not be constant, and the stove may be supplying power to other components at the same time.
How much electricity do they consume during normal heating operation?
Once ignition has occurred, it is normally no longer necessary to continuously supply the ignition element with power.
However, electricity is still being consumed by the fans, the power supply line, and the control electronics.
For some models, the normal power consumption during operation is in the double-digit watt range, while for other models it can exceed 100 W.
For example, according to its technical documentation, the pellet stove ECO-PELLET has a power consumption of 30 to 70 W during normal operation. Other models may have higher consumption.
Therefore, it is incorrect to assume the same consumption for all pellet stoves.
How high will my electricity costs be per day, month, or heating season?
Let’s assume we have a pellet stove with an average power consumption of 80 W during the heating process.
We heat for 10 hours a day and pay the model 6 CZK/kWh for electricity.
| Operating hours | electricity consumption | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 hour | 0,08 kWh | 0,48 CZK |
| 10 hours per day | 0,8 kWh | 4,80 CZK |
| 30 days | 24 kWh | 144 CZK |
| 180 days | 144 kWh | 864 CZK |
The calculation only considers consumption at the specified average power input. It does not include separate ignition and shutdown phases or standby consumption. Actual costs depend on the specific model, usage patterns, and electricity prices.
In this example, the electricity required for normal operation is approximately 864 CZK per 180 day.
Attention: It’s not about the total heating costs. The largest part of the operating costs of a pellet stove is usually due to the pellets themselves.
Does the stove use more electricity if I frequently switch it on and off?
Basically yes, because the electrical ignition element has to work again with each new ignition.
If the stove switches on automatically several times during the day, electricity consumption can increase.
However, this does not mean that it is always more advantageous to leave the oven burning continuously.
This depends on the heating requirements of the house, the control options, and the specific stove model.
The timer program and thermostat settings should primarily correspond to the time when you actually need heating.
Do pellet stoves consume electricity even when switched off?
Some do.
If the stove is connected to the mains power supply and waiting for a command from the thermostat or remote control, it may be in standby mode.
In this state, power can be consumed by the electronics or the communication module.
Consumption depends on the specific product.
And one more important thing: Do not switch off the stove by unplugging it during operation or the shutdown process.
Fans and control electronics may be required for safe operation and cooling of the device.
Always follow the shutdown procedure prescribed by the manufacturer.
What if I have a pellet stove with Wi-Fi?
The Wi-Fi module may slightly increase power consumption, but its consumption does not usually account for the majority of the stove’s total power consumption.
The design of the fans, the ignition system, and the operating mode can have a much greater impact.
Therefore, when choosing a Wi-Fi option, it makes no sense to reject it simply out of fear of a high electricity bill.
If you are interested in fuel consumption, check the specific technical parameters of the selected model.
How can I determine the actual electricity consumption of my stove?
The most accurate answer can be obtained by measuring.
For some stoves, a suitable electricity meter can be used that records electricity consumption in kilowatt hours.
The measuring device must be compatible with the voltage, maximum power consumption of the device, and safety connection requirements. If the manufacturer specifies a particular power supply, follow their instructions.
Ideally, consumption should be measured over several normal days, so that the measurement also includes ignition, heating up and switching off.
Then you simply need to multiply the kilowatt hours consumed by the actual electricity price according to your tariff.
What can you take away from this?
Pellet stoves require electricity mainly for automatic ignition, fuel supply, fans, and electronic controls.
During ignition, power consumption is significantly higher than during normal heating operation, however this phase does not last for the entire operating time.
Therefore, electricity consumption alone does not represent the main operating cost factor for many conventional pellet stoves. This is mainly due to pellet consumption.
Before buying, you should always check the power consumption of the respective model. Two similar-looking pellet stoves can have different technical solutions and consumption values.
And if you want to know how much the oven will actually cost you over the entire winter, you should always include both items: powered by pellets and electricity.